scan|design Foundation Danish Intern Exchange Program at the Museum of Danish America

This program was established in 2008 to provide Danish and American graduate students in history, social sciences, and/or literature museum studies programs, and library schools with a "hands-on" experience as part of their educaiton. Interns may maintain a position for a period of three months to one year. The standard internship period is six months.

Internships, for Danish interns, will begin at The Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa. During the first four weeks interns will be introduced to American museum and library collection and cataloging protocols and be trained in PastPerfect museum record keeping software. They will then complete assigned projects which last a minimum of twelve weeks in order to demonstrate their mastery of both the software and collection and cataloging protocols.

During the final four to six weeks of their internship, each intern will travel to one of the following institutions or organizations in order to complete an assigned project:

Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle, Washington

ElverhØj Museum, Solvang, California

The Danish Church of Southern California, La Habra Heights, California

Naver Club of Southern California, North Hills, California

2008-2009 Interns

Yvonne Skov Grønlund

Graduate Student Roskilde University studying History and Cultural Encounters.

Helle Hovmand-Olsen

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen studying American Indian Languages and cultures.

Jon Gade Jeppesen

Graduate student at Åarhus University

2009-2010 Interns

Ann Christine Brandt

Graduate student at the University of Southern Denmark in American Studies.

Morten Birkerød Tofte

Graduate student at the Universityof Copenhagen in Modern Culture and Cultural Dissemination.

Malene Vitus Østergård

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen in Communication and Danish Linguistics.

2010-2011 Interns

Lisa Hansen

Graduate student at Aalborg University in Culture, Communication & Globalization.

Lonnie Nielsen

Graduate student at Aalborg University in Culture, Communication and Globalization.

Sara Sjolin

Graduate student at Copenhagen University in English and Translation Studies.

Julie Andersen

Graduate student at Copenhagen University in History. Educator and Guide at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde

Bjørg Rasmussen

Graduate student at Copenhagen University in Art History.

2011-2012 Interns

René Rugholm Christiansen

Graduate student at Aalborg University in History with a specialization in museum work. He worked as an exhibitions and development intern.

Marian Beisheim

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen in History and Museum Studies. She worked as a website and online media intern.

Karen Kiil Brøcker

Graduate student at the University of Aarhus in Linguistics. She worked on cataloging and digitizing the archival components of the Annelise Clement Stoaks collection.

2012-2013 Interns

Amel Rahba

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen in Cross Cultural Studies. She worked in the collections department cataloging and digitizing the Anelise Clement Stoaks collection.

Kathrine Winkler

Graduate student at the University of Aarhus in the International and Global History program. She worked on projects for the Family History & Genealogy and Exhibitions Departments.

Jesper Jacobsen

Graduate student at the University of South Denmark in Odense. He is working in the Family History and Genealogy Center.

2013-2014 Interns

Anne Mette Ravn Nielsen

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen in Cross Cultural Studies. She work with Curator Tova Brandt on exhibit development and research, focusing on the Dano-Prussion War. Fall 2013

Lotte Hansen

Graduate student at the University of Aalborg in Library and Information Science. She worked on processing books and materials in the collection, making them accessible via PastPerfect. Fall 2013

Helle Skovsgaard Christensen

Graduate student at the University of Copenhagen working towards her Masters in Information Science and Cultural Dissemination. She will be working at the Genealogy Center: processing incoming and Special Collections material. Spring-Summer 2014

Sofie Krøgh Nielsen

Graduate student at the University of Århus working towards her Masters in Experience Economy. She will be working on developing new school resources, installing the exhibition, Nude Vases, Cubist Faces: Modernism at Rookwood Pottery and doing research for future exhibitions. Spring-Summer 2014

2014-2015 Interns

Nick Kofød Mogensen

Graduate student in History at the University of Copenhagen. He has a special interest in Danish and American political history and can read Gothic Danish texts. Nick is helping with the development of a 2015 exhibit currently titled Skål: Scandinavian Spirits that will travel to several other Scandinavian-American museums in the U.S.

Marianne Frosig Sørensen

Graduate student in Cultural and Social History at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. She will be developing a cataloging system for the institutional archives and also a finding aid to assist locating the contents of the collection, once the project is completed.

Charlotte Keimig

Graduate student in History at the University of Copenhagen. Collections intern. She hopes to learn more about the psychology behind the Danish emigration to America and the concept of pursuing the American Dream. She is working with the curator of collections to inventory archival materials and framed art into a new storage area.

Johannes Svend Brask Kristoffersen

Graduate student in History at the University of Copenhagen. Exhibits and Development intern. He is assisting the curator of exhibitions with several new exhibitions especially, Skål! Scandinavian Spirits which will be a national touring exhibit. Johannes is looking forward to experiencing American culture.

2015-2016 Interns

Ida Jensen

Graduate student in Library and Information Science at Copenhagen University - Aalborg campus. Ida worked at the Genealogy Center and did cataloging and work with the library collections. She has traveled to 5 of the 7 continents and loved being in Elk Horn and the U.S.

Niels-Peter Gade

Graduate student in International and Global History at Aarhus University. Niels-Peter assisted in the curatorial department, working especially with the rotations of temporary exhibitions and doing research for an upcoming exhibition on U.S. and Danish military relations. He was able to learn more about the connection between the U.S. and Denmark especially transcontinental immigration while in Elk Horn.

Astrid Kaalund-Jørgensen

Graduate student in History and Communications at Roskilde University. Astrid has worked in the curatorial department helping to develop an exhibit and in the development department learning how museums in the United States build relationships with donors. She has traveled to Chicago, Denver, Seattle and Portland.

2016-2017 Interns

Mads Henriksen

Recent graduate of University of Southern Denmark with a bachelor degree in History and a minor in Social Studies. He assisted the curator of collections, Angela Stanford, during his time at the museum. His plans included traveling around the U.S. and visiting Danish communities. He traveled to Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburg, and New York City.

Vincent Henriksen

Recent graduate of University of Southern Denmark with a bachelor degree in History and a minor in English. During his stay at the Museum, he worked with Tova Brandt on exhibits and in particular the Bjørn Wiinblad exhibit. He also assisted with the Jens Jensen Prairie Landscape Park at the Museum. He traveled to Minneapolis, Chicago, Des Moines, New York City, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and New Orleans.

Martin Armbrust

Recent graduate of Aarhus University with a Master's degree in History. His internship will focus on work in the Genealogy Center focused on research and cataloging. He will also assist with transliteration of Gothic Danish texts. While at the museum, he hopes to be introduced to American culture while expanding his academic skills.

Peter Hansen

Recent graduate of the University of Copenhagen with a Master's degree in English. He will be assisting with Exhibit development while at the Museum. He hopes to learn about American culture and to travel around the United States.

2017-2018 Interns

Nicolaj Steengaard Jensen

Nicolaj is a graduate of the University of Copenhagen and holds a Master's Degree in Near Eastern Archaeology and will be working with exhibit development. He looks forward to exploring America and everything it has to offer.